Ability-Based Math at Acera: Learning Without Limits

by Courtney Dickinson, Founder and Former Head of School; Acera Board Member

At Acera, students can explore mathematics at a pace and depth that matches their ability—without being constrained by age or grade level. Our approach is designed specifically for academically gifted learners, creating an environment where curiosity, challenge, and joy thrive.

How Does Placement Work?

Students are placed in math classes based on what they are ready to learn, not their grade. Each spring, the math team holds in-depth planning meetings, drawing on teachers’ insights about each child to determine the “just-right” class. Existing courses—such as discrete math, number theory, algebra applications, and Calculus+—can be adapted as needed, and teachers prepare in advance for any new class formats.

Individualized assessments are used at the start of the year, or during the year if necessary, to ensure placements remain accurate. Our teachers are committed to supporting each child to reach their full potential, creating learning experiences without ceilings and thoughtfully adapting content and strategies to match students’ learning styles.

How Do We Handle a Wide Range of Gifted Learners?

All math classes happen simultaneously, allowing students from kindergarten through 9th grade to attend the class that fits them best. Typically, each class spans about three years of age. Placement decisions also consider learning styles, organization, maturity, and frustration tolerance. While some students are placed in classes aligned with their grade, most academically gifted students at Acera are placed above or well above grade level.

What Is It Like to Dig Into Challenging Math?

Joyful! At Acera, we understand the intellectual thrill of solving a problem. Many new students experience relief and excitement during start-of-year assessments—the first time they can truly demonstrate their ability. Gifted girls, in particular, often feel free to embrace their full potential without the social pressure to “blend in.”

At Acera, it’s cool to love math. Students have peers and teachers who engage with them deeply, offering challenges unlike any other math program in the U.S. Families even move from other states and countries for our rigorous, creative program for students ages 5–14. Our curriculum emphasizes thinking, problem solving, and persistence. Students learn concepts from first principles, rather than simply memorizing formulas. They explore the beauty and patterns in math through creative, hands-on projects—building structures, creating storybooks in different number bases, solving problems embedded in world-building games, and learning math facts through playful games rather than timed tests.

How Big Are Math Classes?

Average class size is 8 students, though classes can range from small specialized groups (as few as 3 in advanced Calculus) to larger classes of 14 spanning multiple grades. Teachers come from top institutions like MIT, Notre Dame, and Northeastern, many with graduate degrees or professional experience in STEM fields.

Multiple teacher mentors, including a math curriculum coordinator, support classroom teachers to continuously refine practice. Teachers have autonomy to design curriculum, invent projects, and customize learning for their students.

How Does Learning Happen?

Math at Acera is both deep and broad. We cover typical standards as a foundation, while also offering expanded topics like probability, statistics, and physics (algebra- or calculus-based). Placement decisions are data-driven, and progress toward benchmarks is continuously tracked, ensuring students achieve measurable growth.

Preparing Students for High School

When students leave Acera after 8th or 9th grade, we provide math placement recommendations to ensure a smooth transition. Most independent schools administer placement tests, and our math team works closely with schools to support the right placement.

Acera Alumni: Where Our Math Program Can Take You

Some examples of Acera students whose paths were shaped by our ability-based math program:

• E.W. – Yale ’22, B.S. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. In 5th grade at Acera, she was the top scorer on the AMC8 Exam. Today, she works in clinical research with a strong focus on biostatistics.
• T.M. – Stanford ’24, Mathematics and Linguistics, M.S. in Computer Science. In middle school, he earned a perfect AMC8 score and excelled in state-level competitions. He now works in finance as a risk analyst at a hedge fund.
• B.G. – Dartmouth ’24, Mathematics and Government, M.S. in Computer Science/AI ’26. He recently submitted a solution for an unsolved math problem (Erdos #659), verified by Fields Medalist Terence Tao.

These alumni exemplify how our ability-based math block keeps curiosity alive, letting students explore content far beyond what other schools might offer.

Math at Acera is extraordinary, and our program in 2026 is stronger than ever—rigorous, creative, and deeply engaging for every student.